Funding nixed for new shopping center in Darby

DARBY BOROUGH - Gov. Tom Corbett has nixed a $4 million Redevelopment Assistance Capital grant that would have allowed developers to build a 142,000-square-foot shopping center on a 35-acre tract of land along Springfield Road, drawing praise and criticism alike from local and regional political leaders.

"The (project) is dead," State Rep. Nick Micozzie, R-163, said during a meeting with residents about the project at Aldan Elementary School Monday night.

The issue dates back to 2009, when representatives from Metro Development Co. approached borough officials to express interest in purchasing 35 acres of land from the Sisters of Divine Providence, who own the Little Flower Nursing Home at the site. Preliminary development plans called for an 85,000-square-foot BJ's Warehouse, several smaller shops, at least two pad sites and several hundred parking spaces to be built on the property.

Darby officials said they were excited about the prospect of bringing hundreds of jobs and an increased tax base to the borough. Residents, however, almost immediately decried the project, citing concerns about increased traffic along the already-congested road and the loss of the only green space left in the borough.

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During the tenure of former Gov. Ed Rendell, the borough applied for $4 million in RACP funds, which would require matching contributions from developers, and changed the zoning of the site in anticipation of starting the development. Last month, however, Corbett, who took office in January, denied the funding request.

Gregory Bianchi, Metro Development's vice president, said the developers had actually pulled out of the project "six or eight months" before Corbett's decision.

"The market changed," he said Tuesday, declining to elaborate further.

During Monday's meeting, Micozzie, whose district encompasses a portion of the 35 acres, told residents that he brought a petition signed by more than 300 people at the June meeting to Corbett, and continued to correspond with the governor about the potential project.

"I explained that the project was detrimental to the quality of life of the residents, and after months and months of asking questions, Corbett rescinded the approval," he said. "The application is dead."

Reached Tuesday morning, Darby council president Janice Davis said she was unaware of Monday's meeting or about Corbett's denial of the RACP funding.

"It doesn't surprise me," she said. "He's cutting everything."

Darby council member Patrick McKenna, who was in attendance at the meeting, said he was disappointed that the project has been idled.

"I pointed out that the meeting was being held at Aldan Elementary School, which is part of William Penn School District, which would have received about $750,000 in tax revenues from this project," he said. "Also, the site would have created permanent jobs for about 200 to 300 people, not just from Darby, but from the entire Delaware County area - not to mention the 100 to 200 construction jobs that would have been created."

The denial means that the site, for now, will remain as open space, and a historic mansion located on the property will continue to stand. John Haigis of the Darby Historic Commission said in an e-mail this week that the group remains concerned about the condition of the building, which was vandalized as recently as last week, and will continue to look for alternative uses for the site.

Micozzie said he'll continue to fight development of the property as well. Next week, during a trip to Pittsburgh, he plans to meet with representatives from the Sisters of the Divine Redeemer to request that they not entertain any other requests to build on the site.

"Our goal for the property is open space," he said. "I understand that developing the site would bring a lot of jobs, and that Darby Borough needs the funds, and my answer to that is that jobs are good. However, coal mining creates a lot of jobs, too, and look what that's done to the environment. Something like what they've proposed on Springfield Road will kill that area, environmentally and in terms of everything else."

McKenna said that council members would not actively seek a buyer for the property, which remains private and tax-exempt, but would continue to support efforts to bring new businesses and tax revenues to the borough.

"The borough is here to aid anybody who wants to build in the borough in any location," he said. "Anything that brings jobs and revenue to the borough is good for the borough and for the people of the borough."